Garment form retainer



June 2 Filed Ma E. L. RICHARDSON GARMENT FORM RETAINER ICh 25, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INV EN TOR.

June 26, 1962 E. L. RICHARDSON 3,

GARMENT FORM RETAINER Filed March 25, 1960 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 [/mer Z. fimfiara vran INVEN TOR.

June 1962 E. L. RICHARDSON GARMENT FORM RETAINER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 23, 1960 f/me/ Z. fi/c/xarairan INV EN TOR.

MW 4. 5M

ATTORNEY) United States atent Ofiice 3,040,940 GARMENT FORM RETAINER Elmer L. Richardson, 4216 Polk Ave., Houston 23, Tex. Filed Mar. 23, 1960, Ser. No. 17,081 12 Claims. (Cl. 223-71) The present invention relates to an improvement in a device for holding or setting garments, and particularly coats which have recently been pressed.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved retainer for the front of a coat which will help to prevent the formation of Wrinkles, retard sagging, and hold the coat lapels in place.

Another object of this invention is to provide a retainer which is curved to generally approximate the body of the wearer and the pattern of the garment thereby preventing sagging and wrinkling.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a retainer which is adjustable for various sizes of coats, and positively holds the coat in position without allowing slippage during normal handling and transportation.

Another object is to provide a retainer which positively holds the coat in position without damaging the buttons and stitching holding the buttons on the coat.

Another object is to provide a retainer which includes an anchor tab that is easily inserted, but will not be removed inadvertently, and which may be attached so as to swivel and adjust to various sizes and styles of coats.

Yet another object is to provide a retainer which may include a three point suspension system for more permanent seasonal form retaining to prevent sagging and wrinkling.

Still a further object is to provide a retainer which is simple, inexpensive, readily attached and detached, and provides a space for advertising the services of the installer.

Another object is to provide a retainer which is strong and durable, and which may include stiflfening means in the body of the retainer to add to its rigidity and thus further insure the form retaining characteristics of the invention.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of the retainer,

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the retainer taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a front view of a coat showing the retainer when installed,

is stamped, out, or otherwise formed in the body 11 to provide an anchoring point for one panel. of the coat. A plurality of generally semicircular buttonholes 14 are spaced along the body 11 in which to insert the button of the other panel of the coat.

The tab 12 should have a configuration which is readily insertable and yet will not be removed inadvertently. The combination of the triangular and oval shapes, as depicted in FIGURE 1, has been found to be well suited for these purposes. The tab 12 thus includes a short neck 13 by which it is attached to the body 11. Curves 15 and 17 extend outwardly and downwardly from the neck 13. Curve 17 forms approximately half of an oval shape whereupon it intersects straight portion 19 which extends downwardly and inwardly. Curve 15 is intersected, at a higher point than curve 17, by straight portion 21 which extends downwardly and inwardly to intersect portion 19. The tab 12 may readily be inserted in a buttonhole by bringing one side of the buttonhole around the curve 15 and into contact with the neck 13. The other side of the buttonhole is then easily slipped around the curve 17 to the other side of the neck 13. It is thus seen that the buttonhole will not easily be dislodged from the tab 12, for the distance between the intersection of curve 15 and portion 21 and the farthest part of curve 17 is wider than the buttonhole placed on the tab 12. Other tab 12 shapes will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

Provided along the chord 16 or top of the buttonholes 1-4 are a plurality of spaced thread holes 18. When a button from a panel of a coat is inserted in the buttonhole 14, the button threads are drawn into one of these thread holes 10, depending upon the size and style of the coat. Thereupon that panel of the coat is firmly fixed into spaced relationship with the other panel attached to the anchor tab 12. The purpose of the thread holes 18 is to prevent lateral movement of the panel and to prevent sawing action on the button threads therein inserted and yet provide a properly adjusted retainer for the particular garment.

The body 11 is formed lengthwise into a partial oval shape to more closely approximate the body curvature of the user and the pattern of the garment, as seen in FIGURE 2. This will help to prevent sagging and wrinkling of the coat front. To retain this oval shape and add to the strength of the retainer, embossed grooves may be provided in the body of the retainer parallel to the top FIGURE 4 is a partial back view of the retainer showing a type of stiffening means which may be attached thereto,

FIGURE 5 is a front view of a variation of the retainer showing what is herein called the three point suspension system,

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of the anchor tab installation taken along the line 66 of FIGURE 5,

FIGURE 7 is a front view of the retainer shown in FIGURE 5 when installed,

FIGURE 8 is a front view of still a further variation of the retainer shown in FIGURES l-3 and 5-7,

FIGURE 9 is a front view of the retainer of FIGURE 8 when folded for use, and

FIGURE 10 is a sectional end view of the retainer of FIGURE 9 taken along the line 10-10, omitting part of the back portion.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly FIG- URE 1, the reference numeral 10 designates generally the retainer, which includes a generally elongate body 11 preferably constructed of a strong, resilient material such as cardboard, plastic, sheet metal, or the like. A tab 12 and bottom edges. Or, as shown in FIGURE 4, a straight or a nonlinear wire 20 may be attached to the back of the retainer, as by tape 22. Other means of attaching such a stiffener may be used, such as embedding the wire 20 within the plies of a cardboard retainer.

As can be seen in FIGURE 3, part of the retainer 10, other than the tab 12, is exposed to view. This extended portion 24 is also lengthwise oval shaped as shown in FIGURE 2, and is used to further retain the coat panel when in use. In the front view, FIGURE 1, the terminal portion thereof is shown as an arbitrary shape, and a variety of other shapes are equally suitable, which provide a visible place for advertising.

In use, a front panel garment button is inserted through one of the 'buttonholes 14, depending upon the size and style of the coat. Then the anchoring tab 12 is inserted in the buttonhole in the opposite panel of the coat front, as hereinbefore described. Next the retainer '10 is adjusted and pulled down so that the button thread is inserted into one of the thread holes 1 8. Because a plurality of longitudinally spaced buttonholes 14 and thread holes 18 are provided, adjustment for various size coats is possible without causing undue wear on the button thread, and preventing slippage between the tab 12 inserted in one coat panel front and the other coat panel front, Thus the retainer 10 securely holds the coat front in its proper oval shape and prevents slipping, sagging, or wrinkling.

To remove the retainer, the tab 12 is withdrawn from the buttonhole, or if the retainer is made of cardboard the tab may be torn off. Then the button is withdrawn from the buttonhole 14, and the coat is ready for use.

Several possible variations are possible in the retainer without departing from the scope of the invention. The anchor tab 12 may be attached to the retainer by means of a rivet 30, or other rotatable means, as shown in FIGURE 5, so that the tab 12 may swivel in relation to the body of the retainer. This will insure proper form retention should the coat slide about upon the coat hanger.

Another variation involves generally the retainer 32 depicted in FIGURE 5, which might be referred to as the three point suspension system. Here the retainer 32 includes an elongated body 34 and an arm 66.

The body 34 may be formed longwise into a partial oval shape for the purposes and reasons above described with reference to the retainer 10. Included in the body are the above disclosed buttonholes 14 and thread holes 18 and, if desired, the before-mentioned stiffening means. Attached to the body 34 is an arm 36. The attaching means may be a rivet 38, or other suitable device, which allows the arm 36 to swivel in relation to the body 34. Although the position of the point of swivel is depicted in FIGURE as being approximately midway along thebody 34', it will be readily apparent that this arm 36 could be made longer and swivel at the same point as the tab 12 by rivet 30.

The arm 36 includes a long slot 40' into which is to be inserted a second button 42 of the coat. When this variation is used, it is seen that the retainer 32 supports the coat at three points, namely by the button threads inserted in the thread hole 18, by a button inserted in the slot 40, both on one coat panel, and by the anchor tab 12 inserted in the other coat panel. This system is best depicted in FIGURE 7.

The arm 36 may also be curved to approximate the partial oval shape of the coat. The purpose of the long slot 40 is to provide an adjustable holding place for the button 42. Adjustment will be necessary for various styles and sizes of coats. Obviously the slot 40 could be replaced with buttonholes and thread holes such as those shown as 14 and 18, however the ease of insertion of the arm 36 might be somewhat impaired.

In use, the retainer 32 is installed and removed similarly to the retainer above described, with the additional step of rotating the arm 36 and placing the button 42 in the slot 40. Due to the three point suspension, the retainer 32 is well suited to provide more permanent form retention for a coat because the retainer '32 will retard vertical movement of the coat panels.

Yet another variation of the invention is depicted in FIGURE 8. Here the retainer 90 includes an elongate body 92 which is constructed by folding back portion 94 behind the front portion 96 along the line 98. The line 98 may be an embossed groove on the retainer 90 to facilitate such folding. The line 98 is nonlinear and generally a portion of a large radius circle. It has been found that when the back portion 94 is folded along such a line 98, the elongate body 92 assumes a partial oval shape along the long axis, as seen in FIGURE 9. Provided on the front portion 93 is an anchor tab 100 for insertion in the buttonhole in one panel of a coat. On the back portion 94, a similar tab 102 is formed, however the back tab 102 is slightly larger than the front tab 100. As depicted in FIGURE 9, the back tab 102 is pushed through the opening formed by the front tab 100 after the back portion 94 is folded along line 98. Because the back tab 102 is larger than the opening for the front tab 100, the back tab 102 will lock the retainer 90 in the partial oval shape.

Provided in the elongate body 92, are a series of inclined cutouts 104 which serve the same purpose as and may be substituted for the thread retaining holes 18, except that the need for the buttonholes 14 is eliminated. The cutouts 104 are provided on both the front 96 and rear 94 portions, and are designed to match when the retainer is folded over and locked with the rear tab 102.

In the use of the retainer 90, the back portion 94 is folded over on line 98, then the back tab 102 is pushed through the opening for the front tab 100. This locks the retainer '90 into a partial oval shaped elongate body 92. Depending upon the size and style of the garment whose form is to be retained, the button in one front panel of the coat is placed in the appropriate cutout 104. Then the tabs 1% and 104 are inserted through the buttonhole of the other front panel. Thus the retainer 90 is in position to hold the coat in proper shape.

It is, of course, possible to provide the retainer 10 or 32 with the cutouts 104, just as the thread retaining holes 18 may be provided on the retainer 90. Likewise the arm 36 may be placed on the retainer 10 or 90. Also the shape of the preferred tab 12 may be placed on the retainer 90. Various other shapes. and combinations are within the scope of the invention.

As best seen in FIGURE 10, a further variation in the retainer 90 may be effected by cutting the back portion 94 off along line 106. Thereupon, the remaining portion 108 of the back portion 94 is folded over along line 98 to produce the partial oval shaped elongate body 92. The remaining portion 108 will not include the back tab 102 nor the back cutouts 104, and will not be as rigid as the retainer 90 previously discussed, however it has been found to be commercially feasible.

Although the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination, shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a garment form retainer for insertion between the front panels of a coat, an elongate body curved along its long axis, said body provided with stiffening means along the long axis, said body provided with a plurality of independent thread retaining slots spaced along one end of said body for engagement with a button in one panel of the coat, said slots being generally vertical and of a width to snugly enclose button thread when inserted therein, and a tab adjacent another end of said body for engagement with a buttonhole in the other panel of the coat.

2. The invention of claim 1 including an arm mounted on said body for engagement with a lower button of said coat.

3. The invention of claim 2 including said arm rotatably mounted on said body.

4. In a garment form retainer for insertion between the front panels of a coat, an elongate body curved along its long axis to generally approximate the curve of the marginal portions of the front panels, said body provided with a plurality of independent buttonholes longitudinally spaced along one end of said body, said buttonholes including a plurality of communicating thread holes for coupling one of the front panels to the body, and an anchor tab adjacent another end of said body for coupling the other of the front panels to the body.

5. The invention of claim 4 including the tab rotatably mounted on said body.

6. The invention of claim 4 including an arm. mounted on said body for engagement with a lower button of said first mentioned panel, thereby providing additional support to said coat.

7. The invention of claim 6 including said arm rotatably mounted.

8. In a garment form retainer for insertion between the front panels of a coat, an elongate body curved along its long axis to generally approximately the curve of the marginal portions of the front panels, said body formed by folding a portion of said body behind a front portion of said body along a nonlinear line thereby forming said curved elongate body, said body provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced vertically inclined thread retaining cutouts along one end of said body for engagement with a button in one panel of said coat, and a tab adjacent another end of said body for engagement with a buttonhole in the other panel of said coat.

9. The invention of claim 8 including said cutouts being of a width to snugly enclose button thread when inserted therein.

10. In a garment form retainer for insertion between the front panels of a coat, an elongate body having a nonlinear groove along its length defining lower and upper portions, a first tab cut into said lower portion adjacent one end of said body, a second tab slightly larger than said first tab cut into said upper portion arranged to lock in said lower portion first tab cut when said portions are folded along said nonlinear groove thereby forming an elongate curved body and said body provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced generally vertical thread retaining cutouts along another end of said body.

11. The invention of claim 10 wherein said cutouts are sized to snugly enclose a coat panel button thread inserted therein.

12. In a garment form retainer for insertion between the front panels of a coat, an elongate body having a nonlinear groove along its length defining lower and upper portions, said body when folded along said nonlinear groove forming an elongate body curved along its long axis to generally approximate the curve of the marginal portion of the front panels, a tab cut into said lower por tion adjacent one end of said body, and said body provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced generally vertical thread retaining cutouts along another end of said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,247,663 Gereke Nov. 27, 1917 1,438,738 Witbeck Dec. 12, 1922 2,551,879 Freedman May 8, 1951 2,630,949 Steele Mar. 10, 1953 2,642,210 Lang June 16, 1953 2,940,646 Richa et a1. June 14, 1960 

